Powder popper

ABSTRACT

A popper for propelling powder. In one example embodiment, a powder popper includes a hollow housing that includes an internal powder chamber, a bottom plug positioned at the bottom of the powder chamber, powder positioned in the powder chamber above the bottom plug, a seal for preventing the powder from leaking out of the powder chamber past the bottom plug, and means for propelling the powder from the powder chamber upon activation of the powder popper, which causes the powder to expand in the air into a small cloud of the powder.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/843,873, filed Jul. 8, 2013, titled “POWDER POPPER,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

The embodiments discussed herein are related to a popper for propelling powder.

BACKGROUND

Themed running races are increasing in popularity. These themed races generally include activities along the race route beyond simply running such as physical obstacles, costumed characters, and food or drink sampling. Themed races often draw huge crowds of races who are looking for fun activities beyond simply running

One type of themed race that is increasing in popularity is the color race. A color race generally involves a race course along which race staff are intermittently staged with color powder that is thrown on racers. A variety of colors of the color powder is used so that each racer finishes the race covered in a rainbow of colored powder.

Generally the colored powder in color races is thrown by hand on the racers. In addition, at the end of the race, racers can purchase additional colored powder to throw on each other. Unfortunately, however, the throwing of colored powder can be messy as it is difficult or impossible for a racer or a race staff member to throw colored powder on racers without getting the colored powder on himself or herself. Further, it can be ineffective at times to throw the colored powder as far or as accurately as one would like. Also, throwing colored powder can be a sneaky process that surprises racers who get hit with the powder without any audible warning. Therefore, throwing colored powder can be messy, ineffective, and sneaky.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a less messy, more effective, and less sneaky way to propel colored powder.

The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one example technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.

SUMMARY

In general, example embodiments described herein relate to a popper for propelling powder.

In one example embodiment, a powder popper includes a hollow housing that includes an internal powder chamber, a bottom plug positioned at the bottom of the powder chamber, powder positioned in the powder chamber above the bottom plug, a seal for preventing the powder from leaking out of the powder chamber past the bottom plug, and means for propelling the powder from the powder chamber upon activation of the powder popper, which causes the powder to expand in the air into a small cloud of the powder.

In another example embodiment, a powder popper includes a hollow housing that includes an internal powder chamber that defines a top opening and a bottom opening, a bottom plug positioned at the bottom opening of the powder chamber, powder positioned in the powder chamber between the top opening and the bottom opening of the powder chamber, a bottom seal for preventing the powder from leaking out of the bottom opening of the powder chamber past the bottom plug, a top seal for preventing the powder from leaking out of the top opening of the powder chamber, and means for propelling the powder from the powder chamber upon activation of the powder popper, which causes the powder to expand in the air into a small cloud of the powder.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To further clarify certain aspects of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to example embodiments thereof which are disclosed in the appended drawings. It is to be understood that the drawings are diagrammatic and schematic representations of such example embodiments, and are not limiting of the present invention, nor are they necessarily drawn to scale. Aspects of the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a first example powder popper; and

FIG. 2 is a partially-exploded view a second example powder popper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Example embodiments of the present invention relate to a popper for propelling powder. Using the example powder poppers disclosed herein to propel powder is less messy, more effective, less sneaky, and more fun than prior art methods of throwing powder by hand.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a first example powder popper 100. The powder popper 100 generally includes a housing 102, a bottom plug 104, a top plug 106, a combustion source 108, and powder 110. The housing 102 is generally hollow and formed from a semi-rigid material such as plastic, and includes a powder chamber 112, a combustion chamber 114, a combustion tube 116, a bottom shelf 118, and a top shelf 120, all internal to the housing 102. The combustion source 108 includes a combustion packet 122 and a trigger string 124.

During assembly of the powder popper 100, the combustion packet 122 of the combustion source 108 is inserted into the combustion tube 116 of the housing 102 while the trigger string 124 remains at least partially outside the housing 102. The combustion tuber 116 has open access to the combustion chamber 114. Also, the bottom plug 104 (which is generally constructed from a semi-rigid material such as cardboard or plastic) is positioned on the bottom shelf 118 of the housing, the powder 110 is positioned in the powder chamber 112 of the housing 102, and the top plug 106 (which is also generally constructed from a semi-rigid material) is positioned on the top shelf 120 of the housing 102.

When a user is ready to activate the powder popper 100, a user may grasp the housing 102 is grasped in one hand while the user grasps the trigger string 124 in the other hand. Then the user simply points the mouth 126 of the housing 102 in the direction that the user wishes to propel the powder 110 and then pulls the trigger string 124 away from the housing 102. Upon pulling the trigger string 124, the combustion packet 124, which includes a small amount of black powder, combusts. The combustion of the combustion packet 124 creates a rapidly expanding gas in the combustion chamber 114, which rapidly forces the bottom plug 104 toward the mouth 126 of the housing 102. As the bottom plug 104 is forced toward the mouth of the housing 102, the bottom plug 104 pushes the powder 110 and the powder 110 pushes the top plug 106 in the same direction, which ultimately results in the plugs 104 and 106 and the powder 110 being rapidly propelled from the mouth 126 of the housing 102. As the powder 110 is rapidly expelled from the housing 102, the powder 110 quickly expands in the air into a small cloud of the powder 110.

Where the powder 110 is a colored powder, such as colored corn starch commonly employed in color themed races, as discussed in the background section, activating the powder popper 100 can be a less messy, more effective, and less sneaky way to propel the colored powder 110 than throwing the colored powder 110 by hand. In particular, a user can propel the colored powder 110 using the powder popper 100 without actually touching a handful of the colored powder 110, thus avoiding getting the colored powder 110 on the user's hands. Further, the combustion that occurs in the combustion chamber 114 can be specifically configured to more accurately propel the powder at a specific distance and/or in a specific direction than can be achieved when simply throwing the powder by hand. Also, the combustion in the combustion chamber 112 and/or the rapid propulsion of the plugs 104 and 106 and/or the powder 110 from the housing 110 may make a loud popping sound that will give racers a brief audible warning that the colored powder 110 is be propelled nearby.

One problem encountered with the powder popper 100 is the leakage of the powder 110 from the powder chamber 112. In particular, the powder 110 can leak from the powder chamber 112 past the bottom plug 104 and the bottom shelf 118 into the combustion chamber 114, which can result in decreased effectiveness of the combustion that occurs in the combustion chamber 114 upon activation of the powder popper 100. Also, the powder 110 can leak from the powder chamber 112 past the top shelf 120 and the top plug 106, which can make a mess with the powder 110 and result in less powder 110 being present in the powder chamber 112 to be propelled by the powder popper 100 upon activation of the powder popper 100.

To solve the problem of the powder 110 leaking from the powder chamber 112, the powder popper 100 may include one or more structural features that are configured to at least partially prevent the powder 110 from leaking from the powder chamber 112 prior to activation of the powder popper 100.

For example, the powder 110 may be sealed within a sealed bag (schematically shown in FIG. 1 as sealed bag 128) formed from a very thin material, such as a very thin paper or plastic material. This sealed bag 128 may be placed or formed within the powder chamber 112 and be configured to substantially prevent the powder 110 from leaking from the sealed bag 128 during manufacturing and transportation of the powder popper 100, but upon activation of the powder popper 100, the sealed bag 128 may be configured to easily break and allow the powder (and perhaps at least part of the broken bag) to be propelled from the powder popper 100 as though the sealed bag 128 were not present. The top shelf 104 may include jagged teeth, or other sharp structural features, formed along its inside diameter and that are intended to tear the sealed bag 128 open as it is propelled past the top shelf 104. Other sharp structural features may additionally or alternatively be formed in other inside locations of the housing 102, such as in the powder chamber 112 or near the mouth 126 of the housing 102, to tear the sealed bag 128 open as it is propelled out of the housing 102. Alternatively or additionally, the sealed bag 128 may be attached to features inside the housing 102 such that the attached portion(s) of the sealed bag 128 is/are torn as the sealed bag 128 is propelled out of the housing 102. Alternatively or additionally, the sealed bag 128 may include very small perforations that are too small to allow the powder 110 to leak out of the sealed bag 128 but that are large enough to provide a structurally weaker portion of the sealed bag 128 where the sealed bag 128 may more easily tear as the sealed bag 128 is propelled out of the housing 102.

In another example, the bottom plug 104 can be sealed to the bottom shelf 118 to prevent the powder 110 from leaking from the powder chamber 112 into the combustion chamber 114. Alternatively or additionally, the top plug 106 can be sealed to the top shelf 120 to prevent the powder 110 from leaking from the powder chamber 112 to the outside of the housing 102. These seals may be accomplished using a glue or other adhesive that is configured to substantially prevent the powder 110 from leaking from the powder chamber 112 during manufacturing and transportation of the powder popper 100, but upon activation of the powder popper 100, the seals may be configured to easily break and allow the powder 110 to be propelled from the powder popper 100 as though the seals were not present. The breaking of the seals may be accomplished by forming small perforations in the seals that are too small to allow the powder 110 to leak through the perforations but that are large enough to provide a structurally weaker portion of the seals where the seals may more easily tear as the powder is propelled from the powder popper 100.

In yet another example, a separate bottom barrier (schematically shown in FIG. 1 as separate bottom barrier 130) formed from a very thin material, such very thin paper or plastic material, may be sealed to the bottom shelf 118 to prevent the powder 110 from leaking from the powder chamber 112 into the combustion chamber 114. Alternatively or additionally, a separate top barrier (schematically shown in FIG. 1 as separate top barrier 132) formed from a very thin material may be sealed to the top shelf 120 to prevent the powder 110 from leaking from the powder chamber 112 to the outside of the housing 102. These separate barriers 130 and 132 may be configured to substantially prevent the powder 110 from leaking from the powder chamber 112 during manufacturing and transportation of the powder popper 100, but upon activation of the powder popper 100, the separate barriers 130 and 132 may be configured to easily break and allow the powder 110 to be propelled from the powder popper 100 as though the separate barriers 130 and 132 were not present. The breaking of the separate barriers 130 and 132 may be accomplished by forming small perforations in the separate barriers that are too small to allow the powder 110 to leak through the perforations but that are large enough to provide a structurally weaker portion of the separate barriers 130 and 132 where the separate barriers may more easily tear as the powder is propelled from the powder popper 100.

Each of the above examples is a structural implementation of a means for preventing the powder 110 from leaking from the powder chamber 112 prior to activation of the powder popper 100. It is understood that these structural implementation are only a few examples, and other structural implementations could alternatively or additionally be employed to similarly prevent the powder 110 from leaking from the powder chamber 112.

FIG. 2 is a partially-exploded view a second example powder popper 200. The powder popper 200 includes a bottom plug 204, a top plug 206, a combustion source 208, and powder 210, which are similar to the bottom plug 104, top plug 106, combustion source 108, and powder 110, respectively, of FIG. 1, and a housing 202. The housing 202 is generally hollow and includes a powder chamber 212, a bottom shelf 218, and a top shelf 220 which are similar to the powder chamber 112, combustion tube 116, bottom shelf 118, and top shelf 120, respectively, of FIG. 1. The combustion source 208 includes a trigger string 222 and a combustion packet (not shown). The combustion packet is inserted into the smaller-diameter end of the housing 202 directly into the combustion chamber 214, instead of being positioned in a separate combustion tube as in FIG. 1.

The powder popper 200 also includes a band 226 which prevents the trigger string 224 from extending too far away from the housing 202, thus preventing the tangling of the trigger string 224 with itself or another object. Similar to the powder popper 100 of FIG. 1, the powder popper 200 of FIG. 2 may further include any of the above-noted means for preventing the powder 210 from leaking from the powder chamber 212 prior to activation of the powder popper 200.

It is understood that although each of the powder poppers disclosed herein includes a combustion chamber and a combustion source for propelling powder from a powder chamber of a powder popper, this is just one structural implementation of a means for propelling powder from a powder chamber of a powder popper. It is understood that this structural implementation is only one example, and other structural implementations could alternatively or additionally be employed to similarly propel powder from a powder chamber of a powder popper. Alternative or additional structural implementations may include, but are not limited to, a spring with a release trigger, compressed air with a release trigger, other combustion sources and trigger mechanisms similar to the combustion source 108 and the trigger string 124, a blow mechanism that allows a user to blow into a housing of a powder popper, and a hydraulic mechanism that employs water or another liquid with a trigger mechanism. It is understood that any of the additional or alternative means for propelling powder from a powder chamber of a powder popper may benefit from the above-noted means for preventing the powder from leaking from the powder chamber prior to activation of the powder popper.

The example embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied in other specific forms. The example embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A powder popper comprising: a hollow housing that includes an internal powder chamber; a bottom plug positioned at the bottom of the powder chamber; powder positioned in the powder chamber above the bottom plug; a seal for preventing the powder from leaking out of the powder chamber past the bottom plug; and means for propelling the powder from the powder chamber upon activation of the powder popper, which causes the powder to expand in the air into a small cloud of the powder.
 2. The powder popper as recited in claim 1, wherein the seal includes a sealed bag that surrounds the powder.
 3. The powder popper as recited in claim 1, wherein the seal includes an adhesive that seals the bottom plug to a surface of the internal powder chamber.
 4. The powder popper as recited in claim 1, wherein the seal includes perforations in the seal that are too small to allow the powder to leak through the perforations but that are large enough to provide a structurally weaker portion of the seal where the seal may more easily tear as the powder is propelled from the powder popper.
 5. The powder popper as recited in claim 1, wherein the seal is formed from a paper material.
 6. The powder popper as recited in claim 1, wherein the seal is formed from a plastic material.
 7. The powder popper as recited in claim 1, wherein: the powder popper further includes a combustion chamber next to the bottom plug; the means for propelling the powder from the powder chamber upon the activation of the powder popper is a combustion source and a trigger; and the trigger is configured, when pulled on by a user, to cause the combustion source to combust, which creates expanding gas in the combustion chamber.
 8. The powder popper as recited in claim 7, wherein: the combustion source includes a combustion packet that is at least partially positioned within the housing with open access to the combustion chamber; and the trigger includes a trigger string that is configured, when pulled on by a user, to cause the combustion packet to combust, which creates the expanding gas in the combustion chamber.
 9. The powder popper as recited in claim 1, wherein: the means for propelling the powder from the powder chamber upon the activation of the powder popper is a compressed air container and a release trigger; and the release trigger is configured, when actuated by a user, to expel compressed air from the compressed air container, which forces the bottom plug and the powder to be propelled from the housing.
 10. The powder popper as recited in claim 1, wherein the powder is colored corn starch.
 11. A powder popper comprising: a hollow housing that includes an internal powder chamber that defines a top opening and a bottom opening; a bottom plug positioned at the bottom opening of the powder chamber; powder positioned in the powder chamber between the top opening and the bottom opening of the powder chamber; a bottom seal for preventing the powder from leaking out of the bottom opening of the powder chamber past the bottom plug; a top seal for preventing the powder from leaking out of the top opening of the powder chamber; and means for propelling the powder from the powder chamber upon activation of the powder popper, which causes the powder to expand in the air into a small cloud of the powder.
 12. The powder popper as recited in claim 11, wherein the bottom seal includes an adhesive that seals the bottom plug to a surface of the internal powder chamber.
 13. The powder popper as recited in claim 11, wherein each of the top and bottom seals includes perforations in the seal that are too small to allow the powder to leak through the perforations but that are large enough to provide a structurally weaker portion of the seal where the seal may more easily tear as the powder is propelled from the powder popper.
 14. The powder popper as recited in claim 11, wherein the top seal and/or the bottom seal is/are formed from a paper material or a plastic material.
 15. The powder popper as recited in claim 11, wherein: the powder popper further includes a combustion chamber next to the bottom plug; the means for propelling the powder from the powder chamber upon the activation of the powder popper is a combustion source and a trigger; and the trigger is configured, when pulled on by a user, to cause the combustion source to combust, which creates expanding gas in the combustion chamber.
 16. The powder popper as recited in claim 15, wherein: the combustion source includes a combustion packet that is at least partially positioned within the housing with open access to the combustion chamber; and the trigger includes a trigger string that is configured, when pulled on by a user, to cause the combustion packet to combust, which creates expanding gas in the combustion chamber.
 17. The powder popper as recited in claim 11, wherein: the means for propelling the powder from the powder chamber upon the activation of the powder popper is a compressed air container and a release trigger; and the release trigger is configured, when actuated by a user, to expel compressed air from the compressed air container, which forces the bottom plug and the powder to be propelled from the housing.
 18. The powder popper as recited in claim 11, wherein: the means for propelling the powder from the powder chamber upon the activation of the powder popper is a spring and a release trigger; and the released trigger is configured, when actuated by a user, to allow the spring to release energy stored in the spring, which forces the bottom plug and the powder to be propelled from the housing.
 19. The powder popper as recited in claim 11, wherein the means for propelling the powder from the powder chamber upon the activation of the powder popper is a blow mechanism which is configured, when blown into by a user, to allow the blown air to exert force against the bottom plug, which forces the bottom plug and the powder to be propelled from the housing.
 20. The powder popper as recited in claim 11, wherein the powder is colored corn starch. 